Archive for Green Families

Every summer all three of my boys go to sleepaway camp. When they come home their duffle bags are a disaster. Clothing is jammed inside mixed together with sand, dirt and other surprises. Laundry is one of my least favorite activities, but when my kids come from home from camp it’s a must.

When it comes to laundry detergents, some really are safer than others. Making your own is always the best option but isn’t for everyone (like me!). Instead, I’ve opted for investing the time to find safer brands that actually work.

Here are a few of my favorites.

Better Life Laundry Detergent, Lavender Grapefruit

I’ve been using Better Life products for many years. Better Life Laundry Detergent contains no harsh chemicals and has a lovely scent that’s not overpowering like so many conventional detergents. It works great on colors and fairly well on whites and received an “A” in EWG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning.

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As many of you know I’m the “Mom Detective” over at Moms Clean Air Force. This post was originally published over there. Enjoy!

We live in a culture where fast food has become the norm. You don’t have to look far to find a drive-through on most corners throughout the country. Cooking hacks and simple recipes boasting prep times of under 15 minutes are in demand because we, as a culture, are looking for convenience and simplicity.

The same holds true for our cookware. Many kitchens are filled with nonstick pots and pans, which are loved for their ease and convenience when it comes to cooking and cleaning.

Nonstick finishes have come under fire in recent years due to the toxic fumes emitted when the cookware is exposed to high heat. Those nonstick advantages are taking a backseat and many health conscious families are now opting for a safer alternative.

The Science Behind Nonstick

Most nonstick pots and pans are metal pans (such as aluminum pans) coated with a chemicals from the Perfluorinated chemical or Perfluorochemicals (PFC) family. One of those chemicals is the synthetic polymer called polytetrafluoroetheylene (PTFE), also known as Teflon. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is another chemical from the PFC family and is used in the process of making PTFE.

Teflon is a brand name (DuPont trademarked the process and the chemical in 1945) for a the man-made PTFE.

The Problem with Nonstick

According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), toxic fumes from the Teflon chemical released from pots and pans at high temperatures may kill pet birds and cause people to develop flu-like symptoms. When nonstick pans are overheated the coating may begin to break down and toxic particles and gases can be released into the air that we breathe.

The Issue Then Becomes How Hot is too Hot?

Knowing that nonstick surfaces can release toxic fumes when they’re heated at high heat isn’t enough. The question now becomes:

How do we know when our pots and pans are too hot?

I would venture to say that most of us have no idea how hot our pots and pans are when we’re cooking.

The Environmental Working Group commissioned tests conducted in 2003 showed that in just two to five minuteson a conventional stove top, dry cookware coated with Teflon and other non-stick surfaces could exceed temperatures at which the coating breaks apart and emits toxic particles and gases.

Nonstick Pots and Pans and Your Health

Studies in humans found that workers with exposure to PFOA have higher risks of bladder and kidney cancers.Another study showed that PFCs have been linked to infertility in women. Chemicals from the PFC family areassociated with smaller birth weight and size in newborn babies, elevated cholesterol, abnormal thyroid hormone levels, liver inflammation and weakened immune defense against disease.

Safer Alternatives to Nonstick Pots and Pans

There’s good and bad news. Thankfully there are safer alternatives to nonstick cookware out there, but even the safer options can sometimes be problematic.

Cast Iron

Using the cookware that your grandparents probably used is a great alternative to Teflon. Cast iron is known for its durability and even heat distribution. The downside of cast iron – most cast iron cookware needs to be seasoned after each use and this makes it not as worry-free as other alternatives. It also can leach iron into your food. If iron in your diet is an issue cast iron might not be the best choice for you.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is a mixture of several different metals, including nickel, chromium and molybdenum, all of which can trickle into foods. Leaching will happen only if your stainless steel cookware is dinged or scratched and the amount of leaching would be small. Cleaning your stainless steel cookware can be tricky. Soaking after use and before scrubbing is a must. HERE is a simple way to clean stainless steel.

Ceramic

Ceramic cookware is considered safe and easy to clean in the dishwasher as long as it has zero lead content. It’s important to check any pans with glaze for possible lead. According to the National Institutes of Health, “any ceramic cookware bought in another country or considered to be a craft, antique, or collectable may not meet FDA specifications, and should not be used to hold food. Test kits can detect high levels of lead in ceramic cookware, but may not detect lower levels that may also be dangerous.”

Glass

Glass cookware is an option if not exposed to extreme temperatures. Most glass is inert, nontoxic, and safe unless it has a coating. If there is some form of coating, it’s important to confirm that there’s no lead present.

There’s nothing like spending time playing a great board game over vacation. Puzzles are not really my thing, but the rest of my family gets into them. Set me up with a good board game and I’ll sit for hours. With the holidays rapidly approaching and a long vacation in the not to distant future, I’m predicting hours of entertainment will be needed.

Here are a few of our favorite board games

Disclaimer: There are some affiliate links in this post. *

There’s no doubt a good board game makes a great holiday gift for the entire family. And an added bonus: they’re guaranteed to keep your kids away from their screens for a while.

MONOPOLY

For many years we played Monopoly Junior and now we’ve finally graduated to the real deal: Monopoly. This board game provides hours of entertainment. And I mean hours. There are many versions out there, but I’m a classic monopoly fan.

HEDBANZ

HedBanz is a pretty hilarious game for all ages, although the 8-12 age group seem to really love it. Everyone wears a headband with a card on it facing out. Ask “yes” or “no” questions to figure out if the cartoon on your head is an animal, food or man-made object. Be the first player to guess what you are and win.

COMOTION: The Competitive Game of Simultaneous Charades

CoMotion is a great game for the entire family. Think charades with some added twists. Players throw the dice, pick a card and act out a word or phrase. It’s a race against the clock and you could end up acting out words at the same time as the other team.

BLOKUS

We’ve been playing this one for a few years and it never gets old. As each player adds a piece to the board each new piece must touch at least one other piece of the same color, but only at the corners. Play with up to 4 players.

THE SETTLERS OF CATAN

The Settlers of Catan board game is a popular choice with my three boys. I have to admit that I’ve never played. Players try to be the dominant force on the island of Catan by building settlements, cities, and roads. It’s a trading and building game with a fairytale theme. Players have to gather resources to build settlements and cities.

Quoridor was a big hit on the beach last summer. Quoridor is a fast-moving strategy game that is similar to chess insofar as players move pawn-shaped pieces across the board. The difference is that there are wooden fences one erects to block the progress of and force a different route upon an opponent.

TELESTRATIONS

If you like the game “telephone” you’ll love Telestrations. Telestrations has players draw what they see then guess what they saw. You can only imagine where this ends up. Hilarious fun!

SORT IT OUT

Sort It Out is on my list to try this year. Players are asked to arrange lists of measurements, events, weights, and stages into the correct sequence. Everyone plays on every turn so there’s no sitting around and waiting. It just won the “Game of the Year” award at the TOTY Awards.

WITS & WAGERS

Wits & Wagers takes Trivial Pursuit to the next level. It’s a trivia game that lets you bet on anyone’s answer. It allows you to guess the answer you think is the closest to the choices you are given. This board game can accomodate anywhere from 4 to 20 people.

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* Disclaimer: Please know that if you make a purchase using a link on this page, I may earn a commission (at no extra cost to you), which in turn helps support this site. None of the companies I promote on this page have paid me, I just really like their products. All opinions are my very own. Thank you in advance.

This post represents a compensated editorial partnership with The Family Dinner Project. All storytelling and opinions are, of course, my own.

When my kids were small having a family dinner was no big deal. It was easy. There wasn’t any arranging needed. Back then our dinner hour was on the early side- anywhere between 5:30 and 6:30 pm. Most nights we were all home so eating together happened routinely.

Times have changed. My boys are now 14, 12 and 11 and that 5:30-6:30 time slot is filled on most days with multiple activities. Somehow we still manage to make our family dinner time work. It’s inconsistent at best, but we scramble and find the time to sit, eat and catch up. Some nights this happens slightly after 8 pm and other nights we just can’t make it work. But we always make a strong effort to carve out those few minutes to break bread together. And sometimes that’s all we get- those few minutes. But it’s so worth it.

Why Finding the Time for a Family Dinner is So Important

Over the past 15 years, research has shown what parents have known for a long time: Sharing a fun family meal is good for the spirit, brain and health of all family members. Recent studies link regular family meals with the kinds of behaviors that parents want for their children: higher grade-point averages, resilience and self-esteem. Additionally, family meals are linked to lower rates of substance abuse, teen pregnancy, eating disorders and depression.

The things we’ve learned at the family dinner table are priceless. I’m not sure I’d know who danced with who at the school dance or the long list of bad words with incorrect meanings that they learned at summer camp if it wasn’t for that big batch of shared chili. There are times when the giggles still take over, and those three boys feed off of one another throughout the meal. As frustrating as endless giggles can sometimes be, I wouldn’t trade those giggles for the world. I can’t seem to shake that someday those boys won’t be sitting nightly with us during our family dinner.

Not only do we try our best to eat together, but we also belong to a CSA and we cook together. Cooking together is a fantastic way to spend some quality time in the kitchen, creating cherished family conversations.

I’m lucky enough to have found an organization, The Family Dinner Project, that supports and provides resources for family dinners. And they’re in my neck of the woods-Cambridge, Massachusetts!

The Family Dinner Project’s mission is to inspire families to enjoy food, fun, and conversation together.

#familydinnerforward contest!

The Family Dinner Project has a very cool contest lined up and I’m hoping you’ll participate! Between December 2-16, join the kick off of #familydinnerforward, an initiative (and fun contest!) to inspire families to give – within the family to one another and/or to those outside the family.

To participate in the #familydinnerforward contest here’s what you need to do:

Snap a dinner/giving-related photo and share it via Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #familydinnerforward.

You can share as many photos as you like and all photos tagged on Twitter or Instagram with #familydinnerforward between December 2-16 will be entered to win prizes from Lenox!

Two winners will be drawn at random and will receive four 4-piece plate settings of the Lenox Entertain 365 pattern of their choice (estimated value of $344-400 depending on pattern chosen)!

US entrants only. Be creative! But here are some examples of dinner-oriented acts of giving you’re welcome to use:

Cook (or buy) a meal for a neighbor or someone in need

Invite someone for family dinner.

Collect and donate food items to a food pantry

Help deliver meals via a community organization

Cook a meal together at home, where everyone has a job (this is a gift to the
person who primarily does the cooking!)

Give the gift of meaningful conversation (check out the conversation starters about #GivingTuesday HERE)

Talk about giving during family dinner and show us what you decide to give this
season

I have no doubt that eating together really makes for better-adjusted kids….and better adjusted families. The combination of family meals and the concept of giving- what could be better? Take some time to join in the #familydinnerforward fun and help inspire others to do the same.

How many times each week do you eat together as a family?

P.S. If you liked this post you might enjoy our Groovy Green Livin Newsletter. Receive new posts and special opportunities delivered right to your inbox! Sign up HERE.

This post represents a compensated editorial partnership with The Family Dinner Project. All storytelling and opinions are, of course, my own.

Have you ever accidentally opened your dishwasher in the middle of a cycle? It’s like an instant facial. The steam and heat emitted are enough to make you jump back and close the door quickly.

The water is hot so your dishes are cleaned with minimal elbow grease. Did you know the water must be at least 120 degrees Fahrenheit and not more than 150 degrees Fahrenheit for the best cleaning and to prevent damage to the dishes? That’s hot water!

What do you put in your dishwasher?

We have a relatively new dishwasher and for some reason it seems smaller than our older version. I still do my best to jam as many dishes into the dishwasher as I possibly can for a single load. Everything from plates to glasses to flatware goes right in without much of a rinse.

Over the years I’ve really weaned myself off of plastic in the kitchen. I’ve tried hard to reduce the amount of plastic touching our food in any way. For the few plastic items still remaining, they get washed by hand.

Phthalates have been shown to disrupt hormone activity, reduce sperm counts and some preliminary studies show that they may be causing a slow and steady demasculinizing of men. Other studies have linked phthalates to liver cancer and breast cancer.

Unfortunately manufacturers aren’t required to list phthalates on products. Look out for “PVC,” “V” or the”3″ recycling code on the bottom of anything plastic.

BPA

As many of us know by now BPA is bad news. It’s a hormone-disrupting chemical that’s been linked in lab studies to breast and prostate cancer, infertility, early puberty in girls, type-2 diabetes, obesity and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

And if that wasn’t enough there’s more: “BPA-free” doesn’t mean it’s safe“. As new alternatives to BPA are popping up all over the place we have little information about their impact on our health.

Summer Camp is just around the corner for all three of my kids. They’re headed to an overnight camp far away from home. This will be the first year for my youngest. My boys will be joined by 7 cousins for four weeks of fun.

We’re in the thick of packing and it looks like a bomb went off in our house. There are piles of clothing, sleeping bags, and underwear everywhere. Somehow everything will make its way into a duffel bag by the time we need to head out the door. Right?

Here are a few must-haves for anyone heading to summer camp (*affiliate links):

Clothing Labels

I’m a big fan of Mabel’s Labels for labeling clothing. Everything that goes to camp has to be labeled or it won’t make it home. Unfortunately, even with labels something is always left behind. My favorite labels are Mabel’s Labels Tag Mates, which stick directly onto the clothing tag and don’t come off. This year I decided to get the Limited Edition Camp Combo Packs, which includes a variety of labels (the shoe labels are awesome!).

Mabel’s Labels has a deal for Groovy Green Livin readers. This exclusive code is valid for $2 off any Mabel’s Labels purchase with the exception of Loot Bags & Write Aways. This code can’t be combined with any other promo offers and expires on June 30th 2014. Enter APY5SG2V at checkout.

Sunscreen

Badger SPF 30 Sunscreen is a new formulation which isn’t greasy and is easy to apply. We started using it last year and it worked really well. HERE are a few other favorite sunscreens, perfect for those summer camp days in the sun.

I recently spotted Acure Organics Shampoo on the shelf at my local Whole Foods Market and decided to give it a try. Our entire family has been using Acure for a few months and we all love it. It’s an easy container to pack for summer camp-very flexible.

Bug Repellent

I’m sending all three kids to camp with a DEET free bug repellent. We’ve been using Buzzaway for a few years and it really works well. If you’re looking for natural ways to treat bug bites take a peek HERE.

Toothpaste

Toothpaste is a tough one. They’re going to be brushing with Redmond Earthpaste Toothpaste.
I love the peppermint flavor. Every ingredient is safe to swallow!

When spring hits in New England it hits hard. We always laugh because spring usually sticks around for a week or two and then we dive head first into the heat of summer. But for now it’s spring and we’re all enjoying sports and other outdoor activities after a long winter.

With the arrival of spring comes an overwhelming number of landscaping trucks lining the roads. Each one competing for the neighbor’s lawn business. Each one promising to make your lawn the greenest of them all.

On my morning run I noticed many lawns with this sign poking out of the green grass.

Along with the sign comes the overpowering smell of pesticides.

There’s something ironic about those small signs poking out of the super green grass. The sign is small. So small that you need to get up close to read it. There’s an outline of an adult, a child and a dog. According to the yellow card we should all keep off the grass.

I run through neighborhoods. I live in suburbia. The neighborhoods are filled with people. Children and pets are everywhere. How can we possibly keep off the grass?

What will happen if we don’t?

What’s the Problem with Synthetic Pesticides?

The synthetic pesticides we’re using on our lawn are filled with toxic chemicals. A chemical cocktail that’s meant to kill weeds and other non-desirable additions to a perfectly manicured lawn. These harmful pesticides end up flowing into lakes, streams and oceans and ultimately end up in our drinking water.

Our kids play outside and hopefully roll around on the lawn. If your kids are like my kids they get dirty and their skin comes in direct contact with the dirt, plants and grass.

For the life of me I can’t figure out why anyone would want something so toxic on their lawn.

Lack of Regulation

This is another important reminder that just because something is on the shelves in the store doesn’t mean it’s safe. Unfortunately that’s the way our broken system is currently set up. There are virtually no regulations in place to keep us safe. The synthetic products we’re being encouraged to put on our lawns are filled with harmful and frightening ingredients.

Not something I want my kids rolling around on.

Pesticides and Our Chemical Free Lawn

A few days ago a lawn care company took the time to knock on our front door. Our lawn looks that bad.

The company employee suggested we use their services to whip our lawn into shape. Their services included multiple sprays and pesticide applications.

When we let him know that we already use an organic lawn care service he suggested we get an immediate refund.

My neighbors might disagree (although many of them have their own sea of yellow), but my dandelions mean more than just a pretty yellow covering. They’re symbolic of a safe lawn for my kids and all kids to play on.

What You Can Do

Take your shoes off. In our house we are attempting to contain the toxin filled outdoors by declaring our home a “shoe free” zone.

Don’t use pesticideson your lawn and garden. Use nothing or find a brand or company that uses only organic ingredients that are safe for pets and people. Be prepared that your lawn might not look perfect, but you’ll be making the world a bit safer for all of us.

Where do you fall in the pesticide v. pesticide-free lawn care? Do you use pesticides and fertilizers? Or do you have a chemical-free lawn?